BACK 3 / WING-BACKS / CHRISTIE

[tommy]

TFM is obviously the first choice for the right wingback role. Christie is decent but not in the same league. I thought the tactics and formation worked very well in the first half, considering the quality of the team we were playing, plus the form they are in at the moment. I'd like us to try that same thing again to give it another go.

The issue I have is if and when we do go behind, we do leave ourselves suspect at the back trying to get back into it. And when we fall 2 goals behind, there is literally no plan on how to get back into the game without massive risks being taken. We just need to start well,  every game now.

[YankeeJim]

That's a novel idea score first!!

A real novel idea would be to keep the other guys from scoring.

[FulhamStu]

The OP. Blaming Frank is madness.  I started a whole thread on this a week ago after Frank came in for criticism.   Denver is correct and so is MJG, it's the 3 forwards that cause the problem which is that Frank and Seri are outnumbered in midfield.  To say Frank should then be defending more when he is already being overrun in midfield is wrong.

5 at the back allows the wing backs to provide width in attack, but also have to defend, esp when the opposite wing back is pushing forward.  Crystie just failed to track back and seemed as though he was not busting a gut to get back goal side when Arsenal were attacking and totally failed to cover the Arsenal full back on the overlap for the first goal.   This should be relatively easy to put right, Crystie is not a bad player and the coaches and Crystie may have all been at fault.

[Matt10]

Just goes to show that we really don't know what we're talking about sometimes. He was instructed to stay high up the pitch, said it himself. It was pretty clear if you pay attention to the videos.

I don't blame Seri or Anguissa. They did what they were supposed to do. It didn't help with the 3 forwards, but Iwobi was also playing lights out. Monreal did not overlap as much as was expected, and neither did Bellerin.

Oh well, it's done and dusted. Time to move on to Cardiff.

[Vinnieffc]

A wing back system should either pivot so that when one full back is advanced the other full on the other side drops back and the CB's move over to become a four. Or one of three MFs would drop into the missing full back position or a CB area and a CB moves over. At least that's how I coached it.

Quite right. As an attacking LB in a back 4 when I  pushed up the LCB would shuffle over to cover me, the RCB to cover him and RB to cover him. RCM would not necessarily move to RB but keep an eye on the vacated area. Same as if the LCB charged forward or up for a corner, I would shift myself to cover him.

It was a case of having the same back 4 week in week out. We knew each others game and moves. This became even more apparent to me when I  switched from LB to playing central as either a DM or sweeper - the best 4 players didn't make a  defence but continually playing the same back 4 did.

[Pieter A’dam]

I am afraid that Christie will never be a good enough wingback, he simply can not cross the ball. Rewind the tape of the Crystal Palace season opener, terrible stats ... Over 10 times Seri created space for him, and only one decent ball in the box ... and not much better against Arsenal.